I really enjoyed this story!

Everly is a fantastic character - she's plus size and used to blending into the background. However, when the popular makeover show On the Plus Side surprises her at work, she goes on a whirlwind transformation. She learns what she really wants, stands up for herself and becomes a stronger version of herself. And finds love along the trip. I really enjoyed the characters and the storyline!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

𝖡𝗈𝗈ƙ 𝖱౿𝗏ꪱᜒ౿⍵
ᝪ𐓣 Τ𝗁౿ 𝖯ᥣυડ 𝖲ꪱᜒᑯ౿
𝖡ɣ: 𝖩౿𐓣𐓣ɣ 𝖫. 𝖧𝗈⍵౿
𝖯υᑲ 𝖣ɑ𝗍౿: 𝖣౿ɕ౿ოᑲ౿𝗋 26, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5

I knew I was going to love this book as soon as it reminded me of the show What Not to Wear! I honestly enjoyed this book so much. For someone that has always been plus size, it’s always been a touchy subject throughout my life. Reading this book though really showed me that there is more than the word “fat” when it comes to a person. Everly is so relatable and inspiring. The romance in this book was so well done and I loved how Jenny tackled topics like family issues, grief, and self expectations. The chemistry between Logan and Everly made my heart swoon!

Overall, this cute, funny, emotional debut by Jenny L. Howe is definitely in my top 3 favorite romance books this year! 🩷

Τ𝗁ɑ𐓣ƙ ɣ𝗈υ @netgalley & @stmartinspress 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗍𝗁ꪱᜒડ ɑ𝗋ɕ ꪱᜒ𐓣 ౿𝗑ɕ𝗁ɑ𐓣𝗀౿ ɑ𐓣 𝗁𝗈𐓣౿ડ𝗍 𝗋౿𝗏ꪱᜒ౿⍵.

Everly is chosen to be on the newest makeover hit show, On the Plus Side, and is nervous but oh so excited to start finding herself again. Especially when it means that cameraman Logan gets to follow her around for weeks and she can embarrass and tease him the whole time. But when their chemistry turns real, can they keep their budding relationship safe from the prying eyes of the public or will this show end it before it can truly begin?

I liked this one! Everly starts with being determined to be small and less than because it’s safer but finally gets a backbone thanks to the hosts of the show and her bravery comes in and she comes back to herself. This book also had the greatest steamy to laugh out loud funny moments I’ve read in a LOOOONG time IYKYK

4.7

Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Griffin and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this e-ARC. On The Plus Side reminded me of all my favorite makeover reality shows from when I was a kid. Everly’s story was quite charming and I’m very glad she got her fairy tale ending. Although, more emphasis could have been put on the logistics of the show. An eight-episode ARC for a show with four guests per season was quite unrealistic in my opinion. I’ve never found myself that interested in any Queer Eye guest to want to see so many episodes of them. All in all, a wonderful subversion of reality TV tropes and I very much enjoyed the bearded male lead.

A vitally important, swoons and sexy plus size romance that made me not only want to go through my own closet, but made me smile and giggle and kick my feet. A delightful sophomore release and a wonderful addition to the romance genre!

Jenny Howe does it again! Another wonderful book that kept me turning pages to want to know what happens next. I am so grateful for the early opportunity to read this one. Thank you!

The premise of this was really cute—a tv show dedicated to making over plus size young women without a weight loss angle—but execution was slow and a bit clumsy.

Everly is a character you want to root for at the very outset of this novel, and I loved every second of her story arc. Howe tackles big topics like fat phobia (both external and internal) and self doubt, that surround both of her main characters, without sacrificing any of the romance. A solid supporting and supportive cast of secondary character, with a reality TV twist makes this a super fun read. Thanks to #NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my gifted ARC.

Not only is this one of the best romance books I have read all year but is one of the best books with fat representation I have ever read. I recommend this book to anyone who has ever felt like they were too much.

Thank you for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I know second books can be incredibly challenging, but Jenny L. Howe's On the Plus Side is a hit! I absolutely loved the characters and I am so excited to add a copy to my romance shelves. This one is not to be missed!

Everly loves On The Plus Side (a makeover show that is about more than revamping outside appearances) and is surprised to find out that she’s been nominated for its next season! She jumps in ready to find herself again, but the filming turns out to be a little bit different than she expected.

I loved the idea of this book, unfortunately something about it did not land. I did really enjoy Everly’s journey & loved all the representation!! I just longed to know the characters more deeply and therefore found myself not really caring about the outcome.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel.

💙💖 On the Plus Side ARC Review 💖💙

Thank you so much to Jenny L Howe, St Martin’s Griffin and netGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!

On the Plus Side is a contemporary standalone romance novel. Everly has always been a bigger girl who is just trying to be invisible in her life. But when she’s unexpectedly chosen to be on her favorite makeover show, On the Plus Side, Everly realizes that she’s capable of standing out instead of fitting in.

This book was such a cute read! Everly was a strong character who had so many relatable moments throughout this book. I absolutely adored the grumpy but sweet cameraman Logan and thought they were wonderful together! While I loved Everly’s perspective, I would have really enjoyed some of Logan’s PoV too! I love shows like What Not to Wear and Queer Eye, and this book had all those vibes!

Overall this was a solid 4 star read! This was a fun story about being authentically yourself no matter what! This book does touch on some heavy subjects, so check triggers if you’re sensitive. This book was a smidge of a slow burn but did have some spicy moments later in the book, so overall two flames for spice

If you’re a fan of contemporary romance with strong women, grumpy men, plus size rep, and great banter, then absolutely pick this one up!

Please Note: Review will be posted on Amazon upon publication

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. It was such an easy read and it put a giant smile on my face.

I thought that the main characters were great and they had amazing chemistry together. I also really enjoyed seeing Everly go through the motions and gain her confidence back. Seeing her do this through the reality show was fun and the hosts of the show were great.

On the Plus Side is a gift for anyone who has felt like they are too much or not enough; anyone who lets others decide how they feel about themselves; anyone who feels like they have no voice; anyone who feels invisible; who feels like they need to fit into a mold that is uncomfortable and doesn’t allow them to shine. Everly is an amazing character; she is smart and funny and striking, but she has spent years struggling to find her true identity, to be creative, to be more than others wanted or expected her to be. This is a lovely, sweet romance, and Logan is the perfect partner for Everly. But mostly, this is the story of Everly’s metamorphosis, not always a smooth journey, but one that is life-changing and freeing. I loved her so much! She is relatable, authentic and genuine, and I felt like her biggest cheerleader! (Well, me and Logan!) I was fully invested in everything she did, every choice she made, every time she spoke up, every time she shone, every time she showed the world how fabulous she was!! I loved that author Jenny L. Howe has given us a plus-size heroine who is content to go along unnoticed, to appease her mother and society in general, but who is transformed to be exactly who she is meant to be—FABULOUS!

2.5 stars, rounded up to 3.

Everly Winters is comfortable with her life: with her receptionist job at a marketing firm, with her silent crush on James (the office hottie), with living in the spare bedroom above her brother's garage. After her vivacious and caring grandmother's death, she finds it easier to blend in and stay where she's comfortable rather than pursing her long-dreamed-of career in art or taking a chance by asking James out. However, her life is disrupted when someone nominates her for her favorite reality TV makeover show, On the Plus Side, a Queer-Eye-type show which focuses exclusively on plus-size people. While she's shocked at first, Everly decides she's ready to take a chance on rediscovering her dreams through the help of the bubbly hosts. What she doesn't count on, though, is the distractingly grumpy yet handsome cameraman, Logan. The two unexpectedly grow closer throughout the filming of the show, and ultimately Everly must decide how much she's willing to risk.

I had such high hopes for this book but it was really a letdown for me. First, the positives: I found Everly a very interesting and well-rounded character. It's always refreshing to see fat people represented in romance, and her journey to self-acceptance and rediscovering her dreams felt very authentically portrayed. The vehicle of the reality TV show was a great one to showcase her character's growth.

However, for being a romance, I felt like the male lead, Logan, had no defining characteristics at all. I felt like I knew utterly nothing about him as a character except that he likes dogs. He was very one-dimensional and I didn't understand what was driving the relationship between the two of them. There was just very little emotional depth to their relationship, which is very disappointing for what is being marketed as a contemporary romance novel.

Fans of Julie Murphy and Olivia Dade may want to check this out, but be warned: there's lots of body positivity and self-empowerment here, but very little romance.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book is utterly stellar. I saw myself in every page. Jenny L. Howe can do no wrong in my eyes, everything she writes is an insta-read for me.

I loved it. I want more of this author, I want more curvy girls in romance and this one is just exactly perfect.

On the Plus Side by Jenny Howe is a standalone novel that follows the life of Everly Winters who doesn’t mind staying safe in the background of life—until someone nominates her for be on the popular makeover show, On the Plus Side. As Everly navigates her new notoriety, she becomes close with grumpy but caring cameraman, Logan. On the Plus Side by Jenny Howe offers readers a lovely romance and lessons on learning to love oneself.

Everly has worked hard to blend in and she would remain there. Someone nominates her for her favourite makeover show, On the Plus Side. Through this show, Everly rediscovers her interest in art and standing out in a crowd. She also catches the eye of the cameraman, Logan. When their connection is caught on camera the fans go wild and want more of those interactions. Everly doesn't mind being noticed, but putting her heart on the line for love may be a bit more difficult.

There was a lot that I thought was good about this book. The body inclusivity, growth of Everly and fat acceptance in this book were so well done. I also loved the budding relationship between Logan and Everly and felt that he was the cinnamon roll grump that we all wanted. I loved Logan and Everly's interactions and how he was so supportive of her.

There were however some things that didn't work for me. Even though the author worked hard to make it so Everly's entire identity wasn't tied up in being plus-sized, a lot of it still was. I would have liked to see more of the growth outside her size discussed. I also felt the first portion of the book was dragged out too long. Though Logan was *the* guy, they didn't even kiss until 50%. I would have liked to see a bit more banter between the two. I think some of the faults were my taste though, as I don't tend to love reality show type of books.

If you are a fan of reality shows, plus-sized representation and an overall feel-good story with a swoony MMC this would be a great book to check out! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.

4.5⭐️ This book healed parts of me that I didn’t even know I had. I have never felt so.. comforted from a book. Like this book felt like a friend. A big theme in this read is community, and this book feels like the beginning of a safe, healthy plus-sized support community for me as a person. Inclusive doesn’t begin to describe this read. It was a beautiful blend of different individuals. Everly’s truth and emotions felt so raw and so real. I loved reading a romance where I felt like I saw myself in it. Her journey is captivating. You could feel the author’s passion for diversity and representation leap off the page. I also loved the modern culture references- it made it so much more relatable and funny. Would recommend for anyone- but it is a MUST for plus-sized individuals. Truly a win for plus-sized girlies everywhere and for a positive step toward more representation and diversity in the world.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this funny, spicy, relatable and refreshing ARC!